Scientists have identified the aromatic recipe that preserved the remains of an Egyptian noblewoman who was mummified in 1450 BC, recreating the "scent of eternity."
Advances in chemical analysis technology have made it possible to recreate the scent of the embalming fluid used to preserve the remains of a mummy from the Valley of the Kings so that it can live forever in the afterlife.
The fragrance highlights the ingenuity of the Egyptians nearly 3,500 years ago in protecting the members of Senetnai, a woman known as “Helya the King” (an ancient Egyptian title reserved for women of high status) as a key member of the “entourage” of Pharaoh Amenhotep II, after she breastfed him. normal during his childhood.
The scent of the embalming fluid contains a complex mixture of ingredients, including the sweet notes of beeswax that will protect against bacteria, the vanilla-like scent of coumarin, the scent of resins from the pine family trees, and benzoic acid (gum acid), which can Find it in many plant sources including cinnamon and cloves.
However, it also carries a distinct, less aromatic smell similar to the smell of modern asphalt roads, as the ancient Egyptians used bitumen in mummification to insulate organs from moisture and insects.
With texts from ancient Egypt scarce that reveal the exact ingredients used in perfumes for embalming the body and organs to preserve them in the afterlife, scientists have used modern analyzes to examine the materials involved.
Now, scientists studying the remains of the balm used to embalm the noblewoman Senetnai have not only revealed that many of its ingredients came from outside Egypt, but have also recreated the fragrance.
Scientists who painstakingly worked through the ingredients of embalming fluid and helped recreate its scent on paper perfume test coupons have revealed that ancient Egypt may have been conducting international trade about 1,000 years earlier than previously thought.
And there was exciting evidence, from the peppercorns found in the nose of the mummy of the famous pharaoh Ramesses II, of trade with southern India, as these peppercorns were only available there.
Now, a fragrant gummy substance called damar (or resin), which scientists believe they have discovered in the embalming fluid used at Senetnae, suggests that international trade could have existed much earlier, at the time of her death, 250 years before the death of Ramesses. the second.
It is possible that the source of the damage was a winged fruit tree that grows in Southeast Asia.
And if the existence of destruction is confirmed, this indicates that the ancient Egyptians were able to reach Southeast Asia almost a thousand years earlier than previously indicated.
Barbara Huber, who led the study from the Max Planck Institute for Geosciences, said: "These findings show how far the ancient Egyptian mummification process has advanced - but recreating the scent of eternity is also like a time machine. People are used to looking at mummies and reading museum descriptions, but this helps them." To actually experience the smell of the past.”
The ancient scent will be on display at the Mosgaard Museum in Denmark in an upcoming exhibition, allowing visitors to get a whiff of the ancient Egyptian mummification process.
It was recreated by taking samples from two jars containing the liver and lungs of Sinetnae, which were exhumed from the famous Valley of the Kings at Thebes (now Luxor), by archaeologist Howard Carter more than a century ago.
The embalming fluid was divided into individual molecules using scientific processes including chromatography, which bombards materials with gases to separate them based on how they break down differently into parts.
The scientists worked closely with French perfumer Carole Calvez and sensory museum scientist Sophia Collette-Erich to recreate the scent of the embalming fluid.
Scientists described the six complex components of embalming fluid in the journal Scientific Reports. These complex components indicate the exceptional privilege enjoyed by Senetnai, which is also demonstrated by its presence in the Valley of the Kings, a tomb usually reserved for pharaohs and powerful nobles.
“The scent of immortality represents more than just the scent of the mummification process,” Hooper said. “It embodies the rich cultural, historical and spiritual significance of ancient Egyptian funerary practices.”
Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center : “I will not say goodbye, but goodbye.” Emirati Major Sultan Al Neyadi prepares to return to Earth
The UAE's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center announced the date of Major Sultan Al Neyadi's return to Earth aboard the Dragon spacecraft, after the longest mission performed by an Arab astronaut in space, which lasted 6 months.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Center wrote on the “X” platform: “We lived six months of science, experiments and achievements with Sultan from the first moments of the longest space mission in Arab history, a mission that contributed significantly to the development of space exploration in the region.”
He called on the Center to follow live coverage of the return of the Emirati astronaut, which will be broadcast live through the Center’s accounts on social media.
In another post, he revealed the timetable for Al Neyadi’s return, explaining that the start of the return journey will be on Sunday at 3:05 pm UAE time, when the Dragon spacecraft separates from the International Space Station.
The center added that Al-Neyadi's return to Earth will be on Monday, the fourth of September, at 8:07 am UAE time, provided that direct coverage of the event will begin at 7:30 am on the same day.
According to the International Space Station website, the most difficult stages of the return trip will be when the vehicle penetrates the Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of 28,000 kilometers per hour, in which the vehicle’s body temperature reaches its maximum level of about 1900 degrees Celsius, and the danger of that stage lies in the interruption of communication. completely between the ground contact center and the vehicle for an estimated time of six minutes.
Upon his return, Al-Neyadi heads to the Johnson Space Center in Texas to undergo health tests to ensure his safety, and to return later to the Emirates to participate in the celebrations held in his honor, as the first Arab astronaut to walk in outer space.
For his part, Sultan Al Neyadi said on the "X" platform: "To space. I will not say goodbye, but to the meeting. To meet with a new mission at the International Space Station or in a farther destination. Before returning, I thank God for the blessing of the Emirates that turned our dreams into Successes and I thank you for your trust and love and your prayers for our safety. I will see you well”
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